The Dog
by Interstella
Summary: Just a short drabble about Hughes. Spoilers for episode 25 of the original anime. Alicia's POV. Dedicated to Korona Korm, a good friend of mine.-COMPLETE


The Dog by Interstella

Summary: Just a short drabble about Hughes. Spoilers for episode 25 of the original anime. Alicia's POV. Dedicated to Korona_Korm, a good friend of mine.

The Dog

I'm 16 now. It's been a little under 12 years since I last saw him. I don't really remember much, just the smiles he used to send to me, so full of love, acceptance. A promise, that no matter what happens, daddy would always love me.

Mom told me a lot about him, and so did the general. My childhood was filled with their voices, speaking of the times he was around them, the small, sad smiles on their faces as they were reminded of what they had lost, breaking into happier ones as their memories took them back, allowing the pain to be temporarily forgotten.

The Elric brothers told me about him too. I remember, my sixteenth birthday was filled with stories of him, his friends enlightening me as to what he was really like.

And then, mom came out of the back room. She was crying, and I remember the General going to comfort her as she shakily handed me a tape. Dad had left it for me. He'd recorded it on the day I was born, wanting to give it to me on my 16th.

Needless to say, the tape was played almost instantly. The Elric brothers sat on the couch, along with the General. Mom sat on the chair, so I found a seat on the floor, between the two state alchemists. Reaching a shaking hand for the remote, I slowly pressed play, not quite sure what to expect.

The screen flickered and a grainy picture of a man came to the screen. He was exactly like the pictures I had often been shown in my childhood, the same golden shade green eyes peered at me from behind glasses that were hastily pushed up his long nose. I swallowed harshly. My memories of him moving had long ago dissipated into wisps of fragmented images, leaving me with nothing stable to clutch on to.

But as I watched the screen, his words flowing over my distracted ears, my memories started to become slightly less hazy, his mannerisms became all that much more familiar and I found tears burning my eyes.

That last night – the very last night I saw him – he spoke to me. I remembered, he knelt down beside my bed, waking me slightly with his whisperings. The soft peck to my forehead followed his words. "Daddy has a lot of work to do, ba-bye." Mom had been worried about him, but he'd promised that he'd be safe.

And he never came home.

The tears were falling in a steady pitter-patter onto the carpeted floor as I watched him on the screen. My heart was breaking, but no matter what I tried, I couldn't pry my eyes off the flickering image of the man that had fathered me.

Finally, my ears began to work again, and I could hear his voice – it was everything that I remembered it to be, excited, happy, kind… Everything my father was.

"And remember, no matter what happens, your daddy will always love you!" He was holding a stuffed animal in his arms, the beige fur of the animal rubbing against his fluffed chin. "But I can't always be there. So when I'm not around to hug you, just give this thing a big hug too!"

A sob broke free as I recalled the giant dog. He'd been my favourite toy as a child and I'd held onto him dearly, but one day, he'd broken beyond repair, and I'd had to throw him out. I didn't realize that dad had given it to me, I didn't realize that he had been picked by him.

A hollow hole began to form in my chest as my grieving began anew. Both for my father, and the dog I had so cherished.

Suddenly, the man on the screen changed the way he looked, he smiled softly, his massive grin from before gone. I could tell that he was being serious now, and it made it all that much harder to hear.

"Good-bye, Alicia."

The pain that I felt then, will always be in my heart, but around my friends, and the family that I now have, I know that it can sometimes be hidden behind joy. And they knew that too, because when they were about to leave, Ed turned to me, smiling.

"I know I already gave you a gift, but I got another one for you." That made me feel bad. It was his birthday too, and I'd only gotten him one thing, but he didn't seem to care about that. Smiling at me, he gave me a big hug and whispered in my ear, "It'll be waiting for you tomorrow."

And when I woke the next day, and headed down stairs, there it was. Sitting on the table top, was the stuffed dog my dad had bought for me, looking brand new.

Underneath, there was a letter.

'_Remember those things that are dear.'_

That was all it said, and that was all it needed to say. As I looked at my dog, a smile worked its way onto my face, a shaking hand reached out, and for the first time in so many years, I hugged my dog tightly.

"I love you daddy." I whispered into its fine fur.


End file.
